2 Euro Commemorative Coins - Information about recent and near future commemorative 2 euro coins. €2 commemorative coins are special euro coins minted and issued by member states of the eurozone since 2004 as legal tender in all eurozone member states.

2 euro Vatican City 2009, International Year of Astronomy

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is a global effort initiated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and UNESCO to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night-time sky, and thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery.

Description: The inner part of the coin depicts an allegory of the birth of the stars and planets together with several astronomical instruments. The mint mark R is situated in the bottom left quadrant and the year mark 2009 is at the bottom. The design is surrounded on the bottom left-hand side by the legend ANNO INTERNAZIONALE DELL´ASTRONOMIA and on the top right-hand side by the name of the issuing country CITTÀ DEL VATICANO. The twelve stars of the European Union surround the design on the outer ring of the coin.

Reverse: left from the coin centre face value: 2, on the right inscription: EURO; in the background of the inscription a map of Europe; in the background of the map vertically six parallel lines ending on both sides with five-pointed stars (the reverse is common for all euro coins)

Design: Orietta Rossi is credited with the design and Maria Carmela Colaneri is credited as the engraver for the Vatican 2009 €2 Euro Commemorative coin.
Designer / Engraver Inscriptions: 'O. ROSSI' First initial and last name of the designer: 'M.C.C. INC.' (INC. is the Italian abbreviation for 'engraver') Initials of the engraver.
Issuing volume: 106,084 coins

The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) was a year-long celebration of astronomy that took place in 2009 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the first recorded astronomical observations with a telescope by Galileo Galilei and the publication of Johannes Kepler's Astronomia nova in the 17th century. The Year was declared by the 62nd General Assembly of the United Nations. A global scheme, laid out by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), was also endorsed by UNESCO, the UN body responsible for educational, scientific, and cultural matters.

The IAU coordinated the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. This initiative was an opportunity for the citizens of Earth to gain a deeper insight into astronomy’s role in enriching all human cultures. Moreover, served as a platform for informing the public about the latest astronomical discoveries while emphasizing the essential role of astronomy in science education. IYA2009 was sponsored by Celestron and Thales Alenia Space.